she gives him a ring from her finger. “’Tis too small for my finger, love,” says he; “but I will wear it against my heart as long as it beats.”  After that he finds another case and puts it in Moll’s hand, and she, opening it, fetches her breath quickly and can say nothing for amazement; then, turning it in the light, she regards it with winking eyes, as if dazzled by some fierce brilliancy.  And so closing the case as if it were too much for her, she lays her face upon Mr. Godwin’s breast, he having his arm about her, murmuring some inarticulate words of passionate love.  Recovering her energies presently, she starts up, and putting the case in her lover’s hand, she bids him put on his gift, therewith pulling down her kerchief to expose her beautiful bare neck, whereupon he draws from the box a diamond collar and clasps it about her throat with a pretty speech.  And truly this was a gift worthy of a princess, the most beautiful bauble I have ever seen, and must have cost him all he had of me to the last shilling.

December 10. Finding amongst Simon’s quittances a bill for law expenses of one John Pearson, attorney, at Maidstone, I concluded this must be the most trustworthy man of his kind in the country; and so set forth early this morning to seek him,—­a tedious, long journey, and the roads exceedingly foul.  By good luck I found Mr. Pearson at home,—­a very civil, shrewd man, as I think.  Having laid my business before him, he tells me there will be no difficulty in dividing the estate according to the wish of Mr. Godwin and Moll, which may be done by a simple deed of agreement; and this he promises to draw up, and send to us for signature in a couple of days.  But to get the seal to Moll’s succession will not be such an easy matter, and, unless we are willing to give seven or eight hundred pounds in fees, we may be kept waiting a year, with the chance of being put to greater expense to prove our right; for he tells me the court and all about it are so corrupt that no minister is valued if he do not, by straight or crooked ways, draw money into the treasury, and that they will rather impede than aid the course of justice if it be to the king’s interest, and that none will stir a hand to the advantage of any one but the king, unless it be secretly to his own, etc.  And, though he will say nothing against Simon, save (by way of hint) that all men must be counted honest till they are proved guilty, yet he do apprehend he will do all in his power to obstruct the granting of this seal, which it is only reasonable to suppose he will.  So, to close this discussion, I agree he shall spend as much as one thousand pounds in bribery, and he thinks we may certainly look to have it in a month at that price.  Home late, and very sore.